Saturday, 4th April 1914: Burns Due Here To-day; Ready To Report, The Atlanta Georgian

William J. Burns, after a prolonged investigation of various phases of the Phagan murder case in New York, Chicago and Kansas City, is expected in Atlanta Saturday, having left Chicago Friday night. On his arrival Burns is expected to confer with his lieutenants, Guy Biddinger and Dan Lehon, who have been working on the case in his absence. It may be that following this conference the detective will be ready to make the full report of the case he has been promising.

Before leaving Chicago, Burns said he knew who killed Mary Phagan, and that his report was finished. It was reported that he had sent it to the counsel for the defense, but the lawyers said they had not received it.

While in Chicago, Burns talked freely concerning his reasons for taking up the celebrated mystery, and made it plain that he believed Frank innocent. He said his attention was called to the case while on a steamer returning from Europe. A young man from Atlanta met the detective and began to talk about the Frank case, finally expressing the wish that Burns had worked on it.

Burns' interest was aroused, and he began to read up on the case. Later, while in Key West, three Atlantans, two of them personal friends of Leo Frank, saw Burns and urged him to take up the investigation. He demurred, he said, until Frank's friends assured him that his work would be welcomed, no matter what it showed, as if Frank was guilty, they wanted indisputable proof of it.